Women's Basketball Team Suffers Unexpected Defeat in Debut in Qualifying Tournament

The women's basketball team did not have the desired debut in the qualifying tournament for the sport's Pre-Olympics. This Monday (17), the Brazilians lost to South Sudan 63-61 in the first round of Group A of the competition, which takes place in Guadalajara (Mexico). Brazil returns to the court this Tuesday (18), at 11:30 pm (Brasília time), to face New Zealand. Participation in the first phase ends on Thursday (20), at 3 pm, in a classic against Argentina. The matches are broadcast live on the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) YouTube channel. The poor performance in the first quarter of the debut game was decisive for the result, with the South Sudanese opening up a 12-point lead. Brazil reacted and in the last of the four stages they even managed to take the lead on the scoreboard, with the teams taking turns taking the lead. Balance prevailed and the teams reached the end of normal time tied on 56 points. In extra time, a foul on Moira Joiner with 21 seconds left decided the match. The point guard herself converted the free throws that put South Sudan ahead. The Brazilians tried to equalize the game again, without success. On the green and yellow side, the highlight was Aaliyah Guyton. The 20-year-old point guard scored 20 points, grabbed three rebounds and made two assists. She is the daughter of Adrianinha, former athlete and bronze medalist for Brazil at the Sydney Olympics (Australia) in 2020. Competition format The first two placed advance to the semi-finals, where they will face those classified from Group B, which brings together Canada, Mexico, Philippines and Senegal. The champion is guaranteed in the Pre-Olympics, which will be in February 2028 and will define ten of the 12 participants in the sport at the Games in Los Angeles (United States). The other teams will have to seek a place in continental tournaments. In the Brazilian case, if the title does not come in Mexico, the team will have to be among the top four in the Copa América, which will be held between July 3 and 11 next year in El Salvador.